Skills to focus:
***Foreshadowing, inferring, making connections and correlations, comparing and contrasting, using evidence to support ideas, essay writing, etc.
Possible options for students can be to:
1) Write an essay encompassing two out of the ten essay options given to them.
2) Write an alternative ending to the movie “Avatar’s” last two scenes.
3) Create a pro/anti campaign poster for taking over Pandora…take a stance and write the posters as though preparing for a debate.
4) Create 5 word problems for math that include some of the major themes/ideas/characters from “Avatar”
(i.e. When the tribes were gathering in the battle scene, the General of the human force mentioned that there were approximately 2000 individuals gathered from 15 tribes. On the average, how many individuals are in a single tribe if we assume that all 15 tribes have approximately the same number of individuals?)
Possible Essay Questions for “Avatar”
1) What can we infer people did on/to Planet Earth based on some of the comments in the movie “Avatar?” Use specific dialogues to support your answer.
2) When in the course of human history (here on Earth) have people invaded pre-existing civilizations to rob them of the “riches of their land?” How is this like what’s happening to the Na’vi on the planet of Pandora?
3) Study the environmental issues on Pandora. Compare and contrast them to those on Earth.
4) Study the attack on the World Trade Center’s twin towers in 2001. Is there any comparison to the attack on the Hometree?
5) Compare and contrast “Avatar”, “Ender’s Game”, and “GATTACA.” How does science play a role in how we work as a society? Is it always for the better? If so, how? If not, why not? Explain why you think what you think and justify it with details or examples from each of the sources.
6) Compare and contrast the plight of the Na’vi to that of the American Indians.
7) Compare the religion of the Na’vi to that of the American Indian and other native populations.
8) Study the symbiotic relationships between life-forms and their environments.
9) In the movie “Avatar” some extremely strong female characters are represented. What qualities do these women have? How are these characteristics like those found in women through out human history?
10) We often try to teach children to “do the right thing.” How is this message conveyed in “Avatar?” Reference certain scenes, dialogues so that you can explain and support your response. Focus on main themes and symbolism represented in the movie.